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First National Dine in the Dark Week

Dine in the Dark Ambassador Chef Neven Maguire with a host of blindfolded diners.

In November, The National Council for the Blind challenged restaurants all over the country to Dine in the Dark. This was the first National Dine in the Dark week ever to be held in Ireland. We were very lucky to have Celebrity Chef Neven Maguire as the Ambassador for Dine in the Dark.

Dine in the Dark challenged chefs and customers alike throughout the week. Speaking at the launch, Neven Maguire said: “I was honoured to be asked to do this for NCBI. It was fun and challenging to come up with a menu that would challenge chefs and give diners a great experience”.

This was a week-long culinary celebration which took place across the country from the 6th to the 13th November. It was supported by the Restaurants Association of Ireland. 120 restaurants took part in the inaugural event.

The week provided a unique dining experience. Guests were blind folded throughout their meal. Without their sight to guide them, the guests experienced taste, texture and flavour in a completely new and innovative way. Through this campaign NCBI raised vital funds for life-enhancing services for people with sight loss.

Chris White, CEO of NCBI, said: “This was a really exciting campaign. We gave restaurants the opportunity to win more customers with this unique experience, while also raising vital funds for one of Ireland’s longest running charities”. He added; “Sight loss affects one in six people in Ireland, Dine in the Dark was our way of bringing people together to raise awareness, vital funds and of course to have fun”.

Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive Officer of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said: “The Restaurants Association was proud to be a part of Ireland’s first ever Dine in the Dark Week. This event is a fantastic opportunity to offer diners across the country a unique dining experience. Having experienced a Dine in the Dark sitting myself, it was a surprising and memorable treat — all while raising funds and awareness for a great cause.”

Dine in the Dark Ireland was kindly sponsored by Novartis Ireland, New Ireland Assurance and Classic Drinks.